Everything you said, and then some! My dad always told me when I adopt a pet, it's just that: adoption, just like a child, and the responsibilities are just as binding: I'm bound to provide them with good food, water, shelter, care, and all the medical care I can possibly manage, not to mention affection. If I'm not willing to go the whole 9 yards, then I don't have a pet. And I sure as hell don't just pitch it out or give it to the local shelter when I get tired of it or have problems.

I have 5 cats - all rescues. If push comes to shove, they eat & I don't, because I know why I'm hungry, but they don't, and that's the way it should be. Anyone not prepared to do the same, shouldn't have a pet.

Very small comfort, but at least there's a move in some states and counties to make animal abuse a crime, and to actually prosecute. I suppose that's an improvement over nothing at all, but there's still a long way to go to prevent irresponsible, stupid, or twisted people from inflicting themselves on innocent animals.

Thanks for an excellent post. This is a subject that needs to be addressed more often.

Nancy, sounds like you are a creepy cat lady.

I agree with everything in the article, you should be stating the obvious, but sadly you are not. As far as putting your pet down, I wish people would put sick Grandmas down as well.

Here, here! The Wife to Whom I am Married and her sister volunteer weekly at a no-kill cat shelter here in our area. Take care of your pets, people, and get them fixed.

Good Job! Animals are not disposable items put here for our pleasure to be thrown out like yesterdays trash when they do not or can not meet our expectations. What a different world we would have if people would just understand that domesticated animals are "domesticated" and wild animals are "wild" animals and all depend on us humans for their untimate survival, HELLO!. Why is this so difficult to understand? Keep spreading the word.

So true. Animals are not trash to be tossed out when you are done with them. It just amazes me how people can do that. When I get a dog or cat, it is here until he/she passes on. They live inside with all the comforts that I give myself. We domesicated them. So we should be responsible for them. Spay and Neuter.

Great post! A lot of times, I see people getting animals(usually dogs) b/c it feeds their ego to be able to control and lord over another creature & keep it in its place. It feeds their ego to be 'above' the animal.

The whole not neutering/spaying thing is just plain ignorant & lazy.

Also, I am so tired of looking in the paper and seeing ads for puppies- usually its 'Pit Bull Pups' or whatever particular breed is IN right now- currently its also Chihuahua's b/c of damn Paris Hilton. When did dogs become accessories? What the heck?!